This anonymous essay was passed on to me. I think it's an interesting summary of what's going on with the RCC:

I'd like to offer an idea as a theory to be explored: that somewhere there is a "real" Catholic Church, of which the church in Rome is an imposter. The real Catholic Church doesn't force school children to learn long catechisms or terrify them with stern spinsters in black robes; its priests (if indeed there are priests at all) don't molest altar boys (if there are altars); it doesn't hold Inquisitions and it doesn't prosecute women as witches. In fact it doesn't even own any property and there's no pope. On the other hand the imposter has its roots in the Roman Empire and has inherited a similar power structure, including the punishing aspect -- for instance the Roman lictors carried bundles of sticks (_fasces_, whence Fascist) to symbolize their power to punish; Nunzilla's ruler is that same symbol. In short, it venerates power more than love. I don't know where the real church is to be found; most likely it's been kept secret all these long centuries to avoid persecution by the imposter in Rome and other tyrannies. But I assume it does exist, as people do have a spiritual side and have spiritual needs. It represents the essential joyfulness of human nature which always seems to re-emerge despite the worst tyrannies and oppression. I'm just guessing here but I think the real Church teaches children respect and compassion and to be excellent to each other; it celebrates each person as unique and honors their feelings (both happy and otherwise). It is open to all, and you don't have to renounce other beliefs if you're already a Buddhist or a Taoist etc. If anyone knows where the real Church is, could they let me know? But then again, perhaps I'm already a member, just by wanting to join.

-- Frederick Sharpe (fred@sharpe.co), August 23, 2000

Answers

ok. fred, you want=TRUTH? go to yahoo-punch in->soveriegn-grace!! pull up--the--sermons of=WILLIAM-HUNTINGTON!! a man who knew GOD like few ever will! i said knew GOD not stuff about GOD!! A MAN WHO=PAID THE =PRICE!! remember JESUS said=ask-seek-knock!! the TRUE-CHURCH is small--mosT of so-called christianity is APOSTATE! 'TRUE=servants of GOD are like-JESUS they=serve-not lord it over the sheep!!---TRUE-CHRISTIANITY-is a family-not an=organized despotism!

-- al-d. (dogs@zianet.com), August 24, 2000.

Frederick, as a child in grade school, I was tought all these beautiful things in cathechism. I was proud to be Catholic and a happy kid. It's not until middle school and high school that my eyes were opened to the ugly side of RCC. At 12, I went through a painful spiritual conflict. I could not reconciliate the illogic clash between Jesus' teachings and the Catholic church. Also, the nuns and priests I had come to revere fell from their pedesdals when I realized that they didn't practice what they preached.

I remained a Catholic officially (never converted), but I've stopped completely taking part in the church. Inside me remains this spirit I had as a child, the "real catholic". I kept inside me the beautiful teachings and morals of Jesus, and rejected the travesty the church made of it.

-- Judas (didn't.have@chance...), August 24, 2000.

TRUE-CHRISTIANITY-is a family-not an=organized despotism!

Well said al.

Judas, I must say I did not have a happy Catholic childhood. Still, I believed until I was about 18, then I gave it up. I didn't really come to question it deeply until recently, in middle-age. I just tried to forget about it, put it out of my mind. I didn't like what the Church stood for, and was trying to get as far from my past as possible. But things spring up that you cannot accout for, and experiences in adult life can "trigger" responses you didn't even know were there, deep inside and buried beneath all the repressive guilt and the actively trying to forget.

I think you're lucky to have something beautiful you can remember about Catholicism, a place you can go to in the past that was once innocent and faithful.

-- Frederick (fred@sharpe.co), August 25, 2000.

-- (booboo@awfulnice.co.uk), September 19, 2001.